The Turnbo Manuscripts

by Silas Claiborne Turnbo
1844-1925

One of the brief panther stories as told by Allin Trimble is the following.

"Black Oak Ridge lies between Trimbles Creek and White River in
Marion County, Ark. I live in one mile and a half of the nearest part of
this ridge. This ridge and the adjoining hills and hollows was once my favorite
hunting grounds. One day while I was riding an unruly horse I called Tony,
I met a panther on this ridge which was in 20 feet of me before I observed
it. The beast, uttered a piercing cry and leaped up 15 feet and caught on
the trunk of a tree, but immediately sprang down again and ran toward the
river. I undertook to pursue the beast in order to get a shot at it, but
my horse grew frantic with fear and dashed between two trees that stood
near together and broke my gun stock off at the trigger which rendered the
gun useless and the chase was ended, said the old pioneer settler. The writer
will add that this little incident of hunting occurred near where the Oak
Grove Schoolhouse now is. Allin Trimbles sons, Bill, Joe and Melt
used to joke their father about getting his gun broke while following the
panther. They would laugh and tell him that he broke the gun on purpose
to keep from pursuing the animal for he was afraid it might leap on him.
Of course the boys meant this for fun for they were far from believing that
their father broke the gun to get rid of pursuing the panther.